Cutting device for sheet fabrics



' ,1 w. H. GERSTENSLAGER 1,724,348

CUTTING DEVICE FOR SHEET FABRICS I Filed'March 15, 1925 6 william bffierqtergy g ea? ATI'ORN EY Patented Aug. 13, 1929.

warren stares earner err-ice.

WILLIAM H. GERSTENSLAG-ER, OF AKRON, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO THE GOODYEAR TIRE & RUBBER COMPANY, OF AKRON, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

CUTTING DEVICE FOR SHEET FABRICS.

Application filed 'March 13, 1525. Serial No.',232.

My invention relates to a machine for cutting sheet materials into strips and it has particular relation to that part of a machine of the above designated character which is adapted to control the means for severing the material.

One object of my invention is to provide a knife holder which may be disposed in or removed from its operative position without interruptin the operation of other cooperating knives.

Another object of my invention is to reduce the amount of salvage ordinarily resulting from theoperation of present machines.

Among the most common of intermediate products utilized in the manufacture of rubber products are rolls of rubberized fabric or tape. Where it is unnecessary to have the strips of material cut on the bias, it is less expensive and more convenient to cut the material on a machine commonly known in the art as a Cameron cutter. Such machine consists essentially of a power driven cylinder around which the fabric is made to pass.

In contact therewith are a plurality of disc knives journaled in individual support-s which keep them in operable relation. An extended spring, rigidly connected at one end to a lever and tensioned by an adjustable cross member, common to the several holders of the machine, provides pressure necessary for operating the disc knives.

In operating the machine, the knives are set in spaced relation to cut the desired strips of material, after which the cross member is adjusted to tension the spring and thereby apply sufficient pressure to each knife to sever the desired fabric strips. It will readily be realized that as long as the fabric neither varies in width nor wavers back and forth along the cylinder, the strips at either end will be of proper width and consequently the salvage produced will be a minimum. This condition is seldom realized in practice, and, as a result, either considerable time is lost in readjust-ing the knife holders, or an excessive amount of salvage results.

According to my invention, I have pro-- vided a knife holder which may be brought into engagement or released without interrupting the operation of the other knives. The flexibility of the device not only minimizes the salvage but produces an exact width of fabric having a-smoothly cut edge.

A better understanding of my invention may be had by referring to the accompanying drawing, in which a cutting'device is shown in perspective, that embodies the principles of my invention. I

As a rubberized fabric 1 passes around a power driven cylinder 2, thecontact made with the disc knife 3 is suiiicient to sever the fibrous material. The disc is journaled inslots 4, provided in a lever 5, which rests on its fulcrum 6. A suitable guard 7 provided with a bifurcated end 8 serves to keep the knife edge clear of loose pieces of fabric and at the same time maintains the disc in operable position by resting upon a shoulder 9 provided on either side of the disc and made integral therewith. The guard is adjustably mounted upon the lever by thumb-v screws 10 and 11 which pass through slots 12 in the guard. In case the disc 3 is ren' dered inoperable, the thumbscrews are re leased sufficiently to allow the guard to be removed from the shoulders of the disc, whereby a new knife may be substituted without further dismantling.

The pressure between the knife edge and the cylinder is maintained by a spring mechanism 15. It consists of a leaf spring 16, one end of which is rigidly secured to a pivoted member 17 by a set screw 18, the other end thereof being held stationary by a suitable member, such as shown at 21. The member 17 pivots on a pin 20 extend ing between parallel projecting plates 19, which are secured by any suitable means to the lever 5. In order to tension the spring and thereby bring the cuttingdisc into operative position, a cam member 23, likewise pivotally mounted between the members 19 to engage the member 17, is caused to move in the direction of the arrow. Conversely, if it is desired to disengage the cutting disc, the tension on the spring is released by bringing thecam member into the position shown in the drawing.

It will readily be realized that the above described device affords a convenient and rapid method of changing the width of rubberized strips. Movement of the cam 23 immediately disengages the knife. If certain knives of a series be thus rendered inoperative, the width of the strips may be changed without interrupting the operation of the machine and without any troublesome adjustments.

rinses I have found that by makv ing the Width of the lever an exact difference between standard Widths of tape, it is unnecessary to measure the distance between the knives. The operator has only to be certain that there is no space between adj acent levers. Under these conditions, if the fabric should Waver Within the last Width, the mere releasing of one cam and engaging of one adjacent thereto is quite all that is necessary.

Although I have described but one embodiment of my invention, it will be appa rent to anyone skilled in the art that it may be subjected to many Wide variations Without departing from the scope thereof, and I desire therefore that it shall only be limited as indicated by the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. A cutting element for sheet slitting machines comprising a rocking cutter support having a shoulder disc cutter mounted in a. bifurcated end thereof and secured by means of a bifurcated plate removably attached to the cutter support and having its ends engagingthe shoulders of the disc, a tensioning device pivoted to the cutter support at its opposite end, and a cam lever mounted on the cutter support for regulating the tensioning device and the cutter.

2. In a machine for cutting sheet material into a plurality of strips including a support for cutter units, a cutting unit comprising a lever pivotally mounted on the support, a cutter element carried by the lever, a tension member pivotally connected inter mediate its ends to the lever, and a member pivoted upon he lever for coaction with an end of the tension member to vary its position With respect to the lever.

3. In a machine for cutting sleet material into a plurality of strips including a frame, a cutting unit comprising a lever pivotally mounted on the frame, a cutter element carried by the lever, a tension member pivotally connected to the lever and engaging a stationary part of the frame, and a member pivoted upon the lever for coaction with the tension member to regulate the tensioning device and cutter.

l. In a machine for cutting sheet material into a plurality of strips, including a frame, a cutting unit comprising a lever pivotally mounted on the frame, a cutter element carried by the lever, a tension member pivotally connected to the lever, a spring secured to the tension member and engaging a stationary portion of the frame to position the unit, and a member pivoted upon the lever for coaction With the tension member to vary its position With respect to the lever.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto signed my name.

l VILLIAM H. GERSTENSLAGER. 

